A Girlfriend's Love
by Ellivia22
Summary: Jughead Jones learns that sometimes to be pulled out of the darkness all you need is a girlfriend's love. Jughead/Betty. Rated T for suicide mention. R&R please


**Hey guys! This is my first attempt to a Riverdale story. I really hope you like it. Please review and tell me what you think. ~Ellivia22~**

This story takes place when Jughead overhears Archie and Fred's argument but before Betty's dad breaks into the house.

Disclaimer: Not mine. But if I owned Riverdale I would get rid of all the adults because I don't trust any of them lol

 **A Girlfriend's Love**

 **By: Ellivia22**

 **Jughead**

 _Man Cheryl can hit hard_. I stand in front of Archie's long mirror, examining my injuries. I wince slightly as I touch the round fist shaped bruises layered on my chest Already they are starting to turn purple. Even though I know that I didn't have a hand in her brother's murder I feel like I deserved every blow she gave me. Half the school thinks I'm involved somehow. Nobody notices or cares that on the inside I am completely falling apart.

Right as I put my shirt and jacket back on I hear the front door to the Andrew's house open. Archie must be home. I leave the bedroom and make my way down the stairs to greet him. Even though I still don't quite trust Archie since he went behind my back the night before, I owe him a thank you for rushing to pull Cheryl off of me. I am on the second set of stairs when I overhear the conversation Archie is having with his dad.

"So Jughead is getting kicked out because Cheryl pummeled him?! How is that fair?!" Archie says incredulously.

I stop dead in my tracks from his words. I feel as though my ribs are squeezing my organs tightly in my chest.

 _Kicked out...I'm being kicked out._

I make my way down the stairs, listening as the argument between Archie and his dad becomes more heated. I sit on the third step from the bottom. I press my clasped hands against my mouth just in case my emotions slip out. I don't want them to know that I'm there listening in on their argument. The voices rise louder and louder. Each word that is being said makes the ability to breathe more difficult.

Keep me safe from who, Jughead?!" Archie asks incredulously. "Are you kidding me, Dad?!"

"No from whatever trouble seems to follow the Jones' around wherever they go, whatever they do! Hell maybe you should go to Chicago and live with your mom!"

"It's not something I was even considering, Dad. But you know what, maybe I should!"

"Hey if it will keep you out of trouble then I'm all for it!"

I don't want to hear any more. It's clear to me that I've become nothing but a burden. First to my parents, then the school, now to the people who took me in and gave me a home. I decide to spare them that burden. I run down the stairs. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can breathe again.

"Hey Jug," Archie calls.

I turn slightly to face him as I open the door. He looks at me almost pleadingly. "I'm going to sleep in the garage tonight," I say quietly. "Okay?"

"Jug..."

I leave the house, closing the door behind me. The tears start fast. A t this point I don't even want to stop them anymore. For the first time in my life I feel truly alone.

 **~~JB~~**

 _Death. It's a broad and touchy subject. A subject that some people talk about too much, some avoid it all together. Death can come unexpectedly, like the murder of Jason Blossom. Or it will slowly approach and take you. Death is inevitable._

 _Death comes in many forms: Illness, murder, old age, and the most controversial way: suicide. Some say that suicide is for the selfish, weak-willed individuals who want to give up. Or people commit suicide to escape a temporary problem with a permanent solution. In my case, suicide will rid Riverdale and the world the burden I have become._

My hand shakes as I drop the pen. I don't bother signing my name. Archie will know who the author is, even if my words are written by ink and not a computer screen. It's not like me to give up, but I have been stripped from the layers who make me who I am. With everything that has happened from my dad being arrested to my mother not wanting to see me; becoming an outcast, not only in school but in the entire town. I feel so physically and emotionally drained. I'm nothing but an empty shell who is tired of trying to prove that I matter.

I lay the note in the middle of the couch-the couch I was supposedly going to spend the night on. Then I take one last look around the garage. I swallow the large lump in my throat. So many great memories. Memories of when my life was still screwed up, but I had things to live for. Now I have nothing. Wiping another tear away I leave the garage. My hand firmly grips the large bottle of sleeping pills in my pocket. I decide to go to grab the vodka from my dad's still thrashed trailer and go to the ruins of the drive-in. Before it was torn down the place was where I could go to escape the world. Now it is going to be my final resting place.

A light in the window across the way catches my eyes. I see my beautiful girlfriend sitting on her bed, on her phone. Texting Veronica or Archie no doubt. Even though she hurt me deeply, I know that she was trying so hard not to. She wasn't part of her mother's plot. I'm not as angry as I was. I grab the ladder on the side of her house and place it under her window like I've done a few times since we've started dating. I climb the ladder. I still love Betty with all my heart and want her to be the last person I see.

 **Betty**

 ** _Archie: Jughead's been kicked out of school because of what happened with Cheryl._**

Betty: WHAT?! That is totally unfair! Is he okay?

 ** _Archie: No. He went to sleep in the garage after he overheard my dad & I arguing about it. He's falling apart Betty. I dunno what to do._**

I let my phone fall to my lap. "Oh Juggy," I whisper.

I had been thinking about him all day. Everytime I close my eyes I see Cheryl beating on him and Jughead standing as still as a statue, accepting every harsh blow.

I'm so worried about him. Since his dad had been arrested Jughead is falling apart before my very eyes. During our last conversation I could see the defeat in his blue-green eyes. And the way he said he was done so forcefully. I have a horrible feeling there is more meaning behind his words. I wish with all my heart that I could help him. He doesn't trust me. After the way I hurt him I don't blame him.

 _ ***tap tap***_

Slowly I open my eyes. The tapping continues. I figure it's Archie. I am in no mood to see him. Even though he and Veronica are witness to the fact that FP is being framed I'm still pretty steamed that they went behind my back and hurt Jughead.

When I look it's not Archie, but Jughead hanging onto the ladder. I leap off the bed and to the window faster than blinking. I don't care if my mother is downstairs in the living room. I need to see him. Desperately. Quickly I open the window, then step aside so that Jughead can climb in.

"Archie told me what just happened." I close the window behind him. "That is so unfair. I'm going straight to Weatherbee tomo-."

"Don't worry about it." Jughead's voice is cool and flat. Warning bells go off in my head. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Of course it matters! Even if your dad did do it Cheryl and Weatherbee have no right to treat you like this!"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." He voice cracks. I meet his gaze. His face is pale as a ghost, yet his eyes are red-rimmed. No emotion is on his face, nothing but emptiness behind his blue-green eyes. This is a side of Jughead I've never seen before. This is not the boy I love.

"Betty, the reason I came was to apologize for the way I've been so cold to you lately. You don't deserve that. I was just so hurt that you didn't warn me about what Archie and Veronica were planning to do or that you mother was involved."

"You don't have to apologize. You have every right to be angry. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I was trying so hard not hurt you, but ended up doing so anyway. I promise you, Jug I will never hurt you again. And I won't let anyone else hurt you either."

His lips meet mine in a passionate kiss. I kiss him back hungrily, but gently. I try not to put pressure on his split lip. My heart rises in exhilaration as he deepens the kiss. My arms wrap around him as his hands cup my face. I shiver in delight. I love it when he touches me.

We pull away after a long moment. Jug keeps his hands on my face, his eyes staring at me intently as if he was trying to memorize every detail of my face. Now that he's closer I can see faint, but fresh tear stains on his cheeks. "Jug, you're scaring me," I whisper. "What's going on?"

Jughead attempts to put on a smile but fails miserably. Instead his expression remains in its stoic state. "Nothing. I just needed to see you."

I look away. I suddenly become distracted by something in Jughead's denim jacket pocket, right next to my right arm. Silently I reach inside and pull out a medium sized bottle. It's half full. Ambien is labeled on the bottle. Sleeping pills? Why does he have sleeping pills? Has he been having a hard time sleeping because of everything that has been happening? When I look into his eyes I realize that's not why he has them.

"Y-you didn't!"

His face remains blank. "No...not yet."

It takes a lot to keep my voice normal. I didn't realize how far he had fallen. "Juggy. Please."

"I'm done, Betty. I'm done pretending that I belong here."

"You DO belong here!"

He lets out an exhausted sigh. "No I don't. I was able to handle, even welcomed being the outcast at school. I didn't have to worry about people getting too close to me. I didn't have to worry about getting hurt. Archie was all I needed for a friend. Then you came in my life and I realized that I wanted to be more for you. I wanted to be the normal boyfriend that you deserve. But I'm not good enough. After everything that happened at school today and the fact that I'm getting kicked out because of who my father is...I just can't stop lying to myself anymore. It would be better for everyone if I wasn't around anymore."

A tear falls down my face, followed by another. I can't let him do this. There must be another way. This is the last thing I want, but I think it will be good for him. I touch his cheek. "Look, things are getting overwhelming here because of the murder. Maybe you should consider going to Toledo for a while until we figure out who really killed Jason Blossom and framed your dad. It would get you away from all the madness."

Jughead pulls away. He turns his back on me. "I can't go to Toledo."

"Why not?"

He pulls the gray beanie off his head and tosses it almost angrily to the side. His hand runs through his dark hair. He tenses up. "Last night after I found out my father was arrested I had bought a ticket to Toledo. I was going to do exactly what you suggested-wait until everything blew over then come back. I had called my mother and told her that I was coming. S-she told me that there weren't enough bedrooms. I told her I could crash on the couch."

With each word his voice becomes more emotional. I walk around so that I am facing him again. He looks so pained it makes my heart hurt. "It's okay," I say gently. "You can tell me."

"M-my mother told me that she didn't want me to come. She had heard about everything that had happened with my dad being arrested and me being hounded by the cops. She didn't want me to come and cause trouble and be a bad influence to my little sister." A tear falls down his face.

I clench my hands tightly into fists. I feel the nails digging into the skin, but I don't feel the pain. This is the angriest I have ever felt. The desire to let out "Dark Betty" is stronger than ever. I want to hurt every person who hurts Jughead-starting with Keller, Weatherby, and even though I never met her-his mother. As I watch Jughead become more distressed by the minute I force myself to calm down. The most important thing is to make sure that he's going to be okay.

"And after I heard what Mr. Andrews said an hour ago I realize that I don't belong here. I don't belong _anywhere_. I don't know what else to do."

His admission leaves me at a loss for words. I had no idea he felt this way. I've been so focused on the fact that my family is falling apart I never thought about how he was feeling. Obviously his pain runs a lot deeper than mine, and more agonizing. He's so _done_ with his life and to be truthful, I don't blame him. I do the only thing I can think of that could possibly reach him.

I toss the pill bottle in my trashcan next to my bed. Then I put my arms around him and hold him tight. He stiffens at first then slowly he relaxes. His arms wrap around my waist. I tighten my grip on Jug, afraid that if I let go he'll disappear. His shoulders start to shake and my collar becomes wet. The way he awkwardly holds onto me I can tell he's not used to receiving this type of comfort. I rub his back. Quiet sobs escape him. He holds me closer to him.

"Jug," I say quietly, rubbing small circles on his back. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. You just need to take a deep breath. I know that everything seems impossible right now but you will get through this. _We_ will get through this together."

A long silence passes between us. I continue to hold him tight. My heart pounds against my chest. If I'm not getting through to him how much I love him then this might be the last time I will be in his arms. A tear slides down my face because of that one terrifying thought.

"So this is what it feels like," Jug says after several minutes of silence. His grip isn't as tight now, but he keeps his arms around me. He is much calmer.

"What what feels like?"

"To be comforted." I pull away slightly and look at him. He gives me a sad smile. "No on has ever done something like this for me before."

"But you've comforted me lots of times."

"Yeah. I've learned while growing up from observing other families. Families that I wish mine was like, like Archie's parents. Well before they split anyway. You're the first one to give me comfort."

My heart goes out to him. I knew that Jughead had come from a broken home but I never realized that he had never experienced something as simple as being held before. "Well I'm happy to do it. Besides isn't this what, you know, what people like us who have gone through what we've gone through do?"

He grins slightly. "Yeah I suppose it is. And that's why I love you, Betty Cooper." I meet his gaze, stunned by his words. His blue-green eyes are warm. "I love you."

My hand lands on his wet face. His lips meet mine in a long passionate kiss.

"Betty! Can you come down here please!"

 _Mom why do you have to ruin the moment?_ "Are you going to be okay?" I ask Jug as we let go of each other.

"I think so." He grabs his discarded hat from off the floor. He doesn't make a move to retrieve the pills I had thrown out, much to my relief. "Thank you, Betty. For everything."

"Of course."

"Betty! Come down now!" My mother yells.

"You better go," Jug says, pushing me towards the bedroom door. "I'll be fine. I promise."

"Okay." I give him one last kiss then head the door. I glance at my boyfriend one more time as he prepares to climb down the ladder. "I love you, too, Jughead Jones."

He gives me the brightest smile I've ever seen. "Sleep well, my fair Juliet."

I leave my bedroom feeling even more determined to make things better for Jughead. I'm going to find out who framed FP, who killed Jason, and somehow restore the town of Riverdale back to normal.

 **The End**


End file.
